Somehow I ended up on a trip around the Hamamatsu area of Shizuoka. Here are a few photos I took while wandering around.
Manneken of Ginza at a highway rest area
It looked like it had only just opened, and now you can get waffles from the famous Ginza waffle shop right on the highway. It was as welcome a sight as the walnut cakes at rest areas back in Korea. I bought one and ate it, and it was a real treat.
Shizuoka oden
I stumbled on this oden at a local event while walking around the streets of Hamamatsu. It appeared in the drama Solitary Gourmet and I had wanted to try it, so this worked out nicely.
500 yen a bowl
Shizuoka oden is simmered down until there is hardly any broth left, and the oden itself is on the strongly seasoned side. Just right as a drinking snack or side dish. Other than that it did not look much different from regular oden, but what sets it apart from other regions is the kuro hanpen, a black fish cake that goes in. It is a good dish to have with a drink, so as far as I am concerned it is a good dish. I liked it.
Grilled lobster
This was served at a wedding in Hamamatsu, and it was decent enough. Japanese weddings have a rather different atmosphere. Maybe it felt that way even more because it was a young couple’s wedding.
Sanshuan
For dinner we stopped by a soba place in the hot spring area of Hamamatsu.
Soba
It was alright, nothing more.
Fried oysters
Since the weather was not cold yet, the oysters were on the small side, but they were tasty. Having come all the way to Hamamatsu, you have to eat the local specialty.
Soft serve ice cream
On the way home after the trip, I bought this at a highway rest area near Mt. Fuji. This area produces milk too, so the soft serve was better than I expected.
Fujinomiya yakisoba
This is the yakisoba from the town at the foot of Mt. Fuji. It is famous nationwide as B-kyu gourmet, and I was hungry, so I bought some, but it was no good at all. Real Fujinomiya yakisoba should have thicker noodles and a sauce that clings to your palate, but the stuff sold on the highway was pretty much a knock-off in name only. Anyway, it was a short trip, but a good one.